How fluent is the fluent speech of people who stutter? A new approach to measuring kinematics with ultrasound

Heyde, Cornelia J.; Scobbie, James M.; Lickley, Robin; Drake, Eleanor K. E.

Abstract

We present a new approach to the investigation of dynamic ultrasound tongue imaging (UTI) data, applied here to analyse the subtle aspects of the fluency of people who stutter (PWS). Fluent productions of CV syllables (C = /k/; V = /ɑ, i, ə/) from three PWS and three control speakers (PNS) were analysed for duration and peak velocity relative to articulatory movement towards (onset) and away from (offset) the consonantal closure. The objective was to apply a replicable methodology for kinematic investigation to speech of PWS in order to test Wingate’s Fault-Line hypothesis. As was hypothesised, results show comparable onset behaviours for both groups. Regarding offsets, groups differ in peak velocity. Results suggest that PWS do not struggle initiating consonantal closure (onset). In transition from consonantal closure into the vowel, however, groups appear to employ different strategies expressed in increased variation (PNS) versus decreased mean peak velocity (PWS).

Citation

Heyde, C. J., Scobbie, J. M., Lickley, R., & Drake, E. K. E. (2016). How fluent is the fluent speech of people who stutter? A new approach to measuring kinematics with ultrasound. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 30(3-5), 292-312. https://doi.org/10.3109/02699206.2015.1100684

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 22, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Nov 23, 2015
• Publication Date: May 3, 2016
• Deposit Date: May 20, 2018
• Journal: Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics
• Print ISSN: 0269-9206
• Electronic ISSN: 1464-5076
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 3-5
• Pages: 292-312
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/02699206.2015.1100684
• Keywords: Dynamic analysis, fluency, gestural timing, stuttering, ultrasound
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1186276